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Chapter 12 - 11.“Between the Silence”

🏫 Scene 1 – U.H.A. Academy, Present Day

The sun hovered above the floating towers of U.H.A. Academy, casting golden light across the new reinforced defense domes and barrier zones. A peaceful scene… if you ignored the radar scans buzzing every twenty seconds.

Six months had passed since the last attack. The monster that had erased entire squads had been obliterated by a single act of raw Infinity.

No one's forgotten that.

And no one's stopped watching Brian.

But he still walked the halls like nothing had happened — the same smile, the same quiet nods, the same calm tone.

Only his friends knew better.

---

🧍 Scene 2 – Cracks in the Group

David sat on the edge of the school rooftop, legs swinging off the ledge, staring at the horizon.

Brian stood next to him, silent.

"You ever think we went too far?" David asked, not looking at him. "With the power?"

Brian didn't answer right away.

Then: "I think… we went where we had to."

David narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. But are you sure it's still you making the decisions?"

Brian blinked slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't sleep. You don't bleed. And you… you look at people like you're waiting for them to fail you."

Brian didn't respond.

---

Niko and Alcino trained in the gravity dome. They weren't racing anymore. Now, it felt more like preparation.

"They're scared of Brian," Alcino whispered between bursts of speed.

"Yeah. But they should be," Niko replied, serious for once.

---

Declan was upgrading his armor again — but this time with anti-Brian protocols, hidden deep in the code. Not out of hate.

Out of fear.

"I just want options," he muttered.

---

Hayk stared at a blank screen.

He had seen a probability forecast.

Brian's rise… led to world extinction in 3 out of 5 simulations.

But in 2?

Cam did it first.

So what was the difference?

Nothing.

Because they were the same.

---

🧍‍♀️ Scene 3 – Kendall Watches Everything

Kendall was quiet. Detached from their group still, but more observant than ever.

Instructors praised her constantly. She was top of the second division.

But her mind wasn't on grades.

It was on patterns.

Brian's behavior. The way the others looked at him. The way Cam's name had vanished from every internal report after the monster attack.

She saw too much.

And said nothing.

Yet.

---

💬 Scene 4 – Spirit Communication

Late that night, Brian sat alone in the meditation chamber. A glowing sphere floated in front of him — black, purple, and gold, crackling softly.

Infinity whispered like a friend:

> "You're slipping, Brian."

> "They're doubting you."

> "Why let them grow if you don't plan to rule them?"

Brian whispered back, eyes closed.

> "Because I'm not you."

> "You are me. We're just not ready yet."

---

🔚 Scene 5 – The Calm Ending

Class resumed the next morning. The instructors smiled. Tests were handed out. Some kids laughed. A spirit danced above the courtyard, harmless and playful.

Everything looked normal.

But everyone in that room knew:

This world was not built to stay calm.

And neither were they.

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